The 2023 Michigan State Poker Championship, part of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) at FireKeepers Casino, witnessed an astounding turnout. A total of 2,883 participants shattered the previous record of 2,479 set in May of the same year.

In this $1,110 buy-in MSPT event, the initial $1 million guarantee was not just met but exceeded by a significant margin. The final prize pool soared to $2,795,010, distributed among the top 297 finishers. Following three starting flights and an intense final day featuring a combined field, Travis Young, a resident of Wisconsin, emerged as the champion. He not only secured the title but also claimed the top prize of $297,997.

Speaking about his victory, Young expressed his astonishment, stating, “I’m pretty speechless, honestly. I basically just 10x’d my career earnings with just this one tournament so that’s pretty amazing. I really came into today with no expectations and ended up running really well and picking some good spots to make moves, which ended up paying off.”

Before this event, Young’s most significant live tournament achievement was a second-place finish in a $400 no-limit hold’em event at the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi series, where he won $14,433.

The final day of play began with 341 contenders remaining at 10:00 AM local time in Battle Creek, MI. By the time the final table was determined later that night, Young had accumulated a substantial chip lead, nearly three times larger than the closest competitor.

Brad Sailor secured the first two eliminations, while the 2019 MSPT Blackhawk champion, Brian Hou, managed the next pair of knockouts. The final five players subsequently negotiated a deal based on Independent Chip Model (ICM) payouts, concluding the tournament with Young clinching the title and Hou finishing in the second position. Under the terms of the agreement, the top five participants all earned at least $153,928.

MSPT Michigan State Poker Championship Final Table Results

Poker enthusiasts on Twitter were abuzz this week as a colossal bad beat jackpot made its mark at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec, Canada. The showdown featured a straight flush pitted against another straight flush, resulting in a windfall exceeding CAD $1.3 million ($949,480 USD).

Playground Poker Club distributes the jackpot as follows: 40% goes to the unlucky hand’s loser, 20% to the winner, 20% is shared among the other players at the table, and the remaining 20% is divided among all other players in the room. The recipient of the “losing” hand walked away with approximately CAD $537,627 ($392,666), while the victor pocketed CAD $216,814 ($158,354 USD).

The property celebrated all involved, stating on Twitter, “Congratulations to the loser of the hand, the winner, everyone at the table, and all other signed-in NLHE players!”

The Hand in Question

For those not well-versed in poker, a bad beat jackpot rewards a cash game player with a strong hand who loses to another player with an even stronger one. A portion of each hand’s pot contributes to the bad beat pool, similar to a progressive slot machine, until it pays out.

In this particular hand, one player went all-in with 6Diamond Suit 5Diamond Suit on a board displaying 7Diamond Suit 9Diamond Suit 4Heart Suit 8Diamond Suit ASpade Suit. The unfortunate loser secured a straight flush, but their opponent held the JDiamond Suit 10Diamond Suit, forming an even more impressive straight flush.

This unlikely outcome led to a substantial windfall for the participants at the Playground, who celebrated the occasion with a shower of confetti.

Continued Jackpot Success at Playground

The Playground has been the setting for two substantial payouts in just the past few months. In August, the property awarded a CAD $2.6 million ($1.9 million USD) jackpot. This hand occurred in a $1-$2 no-limit hold’em cash game, where one player with pocket tens hit quads. However, another player completed a straight flush with 9Diamond Suit 6Diamond Suit on a board showing 8Diamond Suit 10Heart Suit 10Diamond Suit 7Diamond Suit 2Diamond Suit, besting their opponent’s hand.

The losing player walked away with slightly over CAD $1 million ($774,084 USD), while the winner collected CAD $518,037 ($387,042). This exceeded the cardroom’s prior record of just over $2 million, set in June. Following the recent jackpot payout, the pool was promptly replenished to $108,789, which was the amount previously in the backup jackpot.

Nick Schulman clinched his third title of the year. This seasoned poker pro, boasting a World Poker Tour championship and four World Series of Poker bracelets, emerged victorious from a challenging field of 40 participants in the PGT Mixed Games II $10,200 triple stud tournament, which offered a prize pool of $144,000.

This triumph propelled Schulman’s career tournament earnings to an impressive $16.8 million. At the age of 39, this renowned poker player and frequent PokerGO commentator has accumulated 190 live tournament wins since his groundbreaking $2.1 million victory in the 2005 WPT World Poker Finals, securing a total of 13 titles along the way.

In the year 2023, Nick Schulman reached ten final tables, amassing an impressive 2,730 Card Player Player of the Year points. His achievements included securing his fourth WSOP title during the summer by winning a $1,500 stud event, netting $110,800. In September, he emerged victorious in a $25,000 no-limit hold’em event at the Poker Masters festival, adding another $374,000 to his winnings. With over $1.1 million in year-to-date Player of the Year earnings, Schulman has climbed to the 74th spot in this year’s Player of the Year race standings presented by Global Poker.

Furthermore, Schulman’s latest victory brought him within reach of the top 40 in the season-long PGT points race. The top 40 players in the final standings will secure a spot in the $1 million freeroll PGT Championship taking place in December. Following this win, he currently occupies the 42nd position, adding 144 points to his overall score. In the PGT Mixed Games II standings for the series, he is placed fourth with a total of 167 points.

The triple-stud event encompassed a mix of stud, stud eight-or-better, and razz poker variants. It spanned two days of intense competition before a champion emerged. The top six finishers shared the $400,000 prize pool, with notable players such as Ryan Miller, Damjan Radanov, Chino Rheem, and Adam Friedman making their exits inside the money on the first day.

The final day commenced with John Racener, a bracelet winner and the 2010 WSOP main event runner-up, holding 3,475,000 chips compared to Schulman’s 2,525,000. Racener initially extended his lead, but Nick Schulman managed a crucial double-up in a hand of stud, making a remarkable comeback. After narrowing the gap further during the stud round, Schulman took the lead with a substantial razz pot, securing an 8-7-5-3-A low.

The decisive hand of the tournament unfolded in a razz round. Racener pushed all his remaining chips into the pot with (A♣9♦4♥J♠5♣), while Schulman held (9♥6♥2♥J♣3♠).

Nick Schulman improved to a nine low with the 7♥ on sixth street, while Racener failed to improve with the K♣. The 9♣ on the final card didn’t alter the outcome for Schulman, while Racener ended up with a jack low that he had formed by fifth street. With that, Racener finished in second place, earning $96,000 for his performance, bringing his career tournament earnings to nearly $11.6 million.

Ari Engel has achieved a remarkable feat, securing his position as the undisputed leader in all-time World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring victories. The esteemed Canadian poker professional had been sharing the top spot with Maurice Hawkins, both boasting 15 WSOPC titles. This tie was broken during the WSOPC Graton Casino event in Northern California in August when Ari Engel secured back-to-back wins. However, the Canadian poker pro’s record-setting 16th ring was clinched on Tuesday, October 10, when he emerged victorious in the $400 buy-in Omaha eight-or-better event at the WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond festival.

While basking in his accomplishment, Ari Engel acknowledged the mixed emotions of the moment, stating, “It’s certainly satisfying to emerge as the winner, but my thoughts are currently with Jerusalem, so it’s a bittersweet victory. I’ve been actively participating in these tournaments, and winning them is unquestionably more appealing than the alternative.”

In addition, he graciously acknowledged the achievements of other players near the top of the WSOPC rings leaderboard, emphasizing, “Maurice Hawkins, Josh Reichard, and Dan Lowery have considerably better ratios in terms of tournaments played to rings. I tend to play more frequently than they do. Their records are impressive, and they are highly skilled players.”

Here are the players with 10 or more WSOPC rings won:

The Canadian poker pro hailing from Toronto, boasting two WSOP bracelets to his name, has had an extraordinary 2023, amassing an impressive five WSOP Circuit rings. Among these, two were secured through online events, while the other two were claimed in California, and a fifth in Indiana. Engel’s inaugural ring victory dates back to 2007 when he triumphed in a $300 buy-in event at WSOP Caesars Atlantic City, earning a substantial prize of $63,018.

Celebrating his 40th birthday last month, Ari Engel’s tournament earnings now exceed $8.7 million, with a noteworthy portion of over $1 million stemming from his remarkable 181 WSOPC cashes. His most recent triumph marks his sixth overall victory this year, earning him a substantial 96 Card Player Player of the Year points.

Ari Engel’s distinction extends further, with an astonishing 24 final-table finishes that qualify for Player of the Year recognition in 2023, the most by any player thus far. Accumulating a total of 2,648 points, he currently holds the 80th position in the comprehensive Player of the Year rankings, as presented by Global Poker.

In the 2023 World Championship of Online Poker’s $10,300 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event, which carried a $6,000,000 guarantee, the target was successfully reached with 600 entries. This massive online tournament took place on PokerStars from October 1st to 4th.

The champion of this year’s WCOOP main event turned out to be poker professional Ivan Stokes, who hails from the UK and goes by the online moniker ‘ILS007.’ Stokes skillfully navigated his way through the substantial field and a challenging final table to secure the coveted title and a top prize of $1,047,257.

Stokes is not just an accomplished player but also a co-founder and head coach of the MTT (Multi-Table Tournament) division at Poker Detox, a training site. His bio on the company’s website boasts several prior COOP titles as part of his impressive poker resume.

The final day of this four-day tournament began with nine contenders remaining, each already guaranteed at least $94,330 for their remarkable journey so far.

In the early stages of the final table, some notable names met their fate, including Kayhan Mokri, the recent European Poker Tour Barcelona €100,000 high roller winner (9th place), high-stakes regular Mario Mosboeck (8th place), Kelvin Kerber, who finished third in the 2023 WSOP $10,000 super turbo bounty event (7th place), Jamil Wakil, who placed fifth in the 2023 Triton London $50,000 high roller (6th place), and Leonard Maue, the 2022 EPT Barcelona €25,000 high roller champion (5th place).

Sweden’s Niklas Astedt, known as ‘Lena900′ online, momentarily seized the chip lead during the four-handed play. However, his fortunes turned when his pocket kings were outdone by Ivan Stokes’ flopped set of deuces. Astedt settled for fourth place, earning $408,827. It’s worth noting that according to PokerStake, Astedt boasts nearly $46 million in recorded online tournament earnings, the highest in their database.

During three-handed play, Stokes continued to extend his lead over the remaining players. The next elimination occurred when Stokes’ A-9 prevailed in a preflop race against Juan Pastor’s pocket fours, leaving Stokes with a commanding 7.5:1 chip lead over Sweden’s ‘ShipitFTW911,’ the only player among the final nine whose real name remained undisclosed. Pastor secured $559,385 for his third-place finish.

The final hand of the event began with a button min-raise to 1,600,000 from ‘ShipitFTW911’ with 9♠9♥. Stokes responded with a three-bet to 4,400,000 from the big blind, holding K♦K♣, and was called. The flop came down 10♣7♥6♥. Stokes bet 2,970,000, which was again called. The turn revealed the 2♠, prompting another bet from Stokes, this time amounting to 4,930,200. ‘ShipitFTW911’ remained in the hand and saw the 2♥ on the river. Stokes went all-in, and ‘ShipitFTW911’ called off their last 12,921,085, only to receive the disappointing news. They secured $765,389 as the runner-up finisher.

Here is a look at the final table result:

Isaac Haxton secured victory in the Super High Roller Bowl VIII, conquering a field of 20 contenders in the $300,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em competition, earning a substantial $2,760,000. He became only the third player to achieve multiple SHRB titles, previously triumphing in the same event in 2018, raking in nearly $3.7 million. These two wins in this high-stakes event constitute the most lucrative successes in his illustrious career.

“It’s an incredible feeling. The competition was exceptionally tough. Starting with half the chips certainly helped, and I continued to have a good run,” Haxton shared with PokerGO’s Natalie Bode after his victory. “I feel fantastic, and I’m thrilled to have won this tournament. It’s one of my favorites.”

Isaac Haxton’s total recorded tournament earnings now exceed $44.7 million, placing him tenth on the all-time poker money list. The 38-year-old poker pro Isaac Haxton is compiling an astonishing record in 2023. He has reached 20 final tables, amassing over $12.5 million in winnings from these finishes alone, surpassing all other players on the circuit, including the 2023 World Series of Poker main event champion, Daniel Weinman. During this remarkable run, Isaac Haxton has secured seven titles, constituting almost 44 percent of his lifetime total of 16. Among these victories was his first WSOP bracelet, earned as the champion of the $25,000 buy-in eight-max event.

His most recent triumph garnered him 360 Card Player Player of the Year points, elevating his total to 8,132. Consequently, he currently stands in third place in the 2023 POY race standings presented by Global Poker. Haxton also earned 550 PokerGO Tour points, bringing his total to 2,297, placing him just three points behind Weinman in the PGT season-long standings.

The tournament attracted a substantial field, creating a prize pool of $6,000,000 that was distributed among the top four finishers. It took two full days of intense competition at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas to narrow down the initial 20 entries to the final six.

This led to a tense money bubble situation, with two players departing empty-handed on Day 3. However, the bubble burst swiftly, with the first two eliminations occurring within an hour of the start of play.

In the first elimination, Bryn Kenney, the all-time money leader in poker, pushed his remaining chips into the pot preflop with 3Diamond Suit from the cutoff, only to be defeated by Stephen Chidwick’s AClub SuitKHeart Suit from the big blind. Kenney initially held the lead through the flop and turn, but a king on the river ended his tournament run in sixth place.

Chris Brewer, who, like Haxton, had a spectacular year in high roller events in 2023, amassing nearly $11.2 million in POY earnings with 22 final table appearances and five titles, could not extend his incredible streak in this event. His pocket aces were cracked by Andrew Lichtenberger’s K-10 suited. Brewer three-bet from the small blind with ADiamond SuitAHeart Suit after Lichtenberger raised with KSpade Suit10Spade Suit from the button. Lichtenberger four-bet jammed, and Brewer called off his stack. The board delivered a flush for Lichtenberger, ending Brewer’s tournament.

Interestingly, Brewer had experienced a similar fate on the bubble in a previous SHRB event in 2021, losing with A-Q to Justin Bonomo’s 10-4 suited, which was pushed from the button against the two short stacks in the blinds.

As four-handed play began, Jason Koon and Chidwick were virtually tied in chip counts, with Chidwick holding a slight advantage. Koon would ultimately be the first to exit. His final hand saw him raise from the cutoff with KSpade SuitKClub Suit, only to be outdrawn by Lichtenberger, who held JClub Suit10Spade Suit. The board favored Lichtenberger with a gutshot straight draw, and he eventually made a jack-high straight, resulting in Koon’s elimination in fourth place.

Koon’s career tournament earnings now exceed $51.4 million, ranking him fourth on the all-time poker money list. His efforts also earned him 180 POY points, placing him eighth on the POY leaderboard heading into the final quarter of the year.

Following Koon’s departure, Lichtenberger also thwarted Chidwick’s aspirations for his first SHRB title. In this pivotal hand, Lichtenberger raised from the button with QDiamond Suit8Club Suit, and Chidwick defended his big blind with QSpade Suit6Heart Suit. Both players achieved top pair on the QHeart Suit7Diamond Suit3Diamond Suit flop. After a pair of checks, Lichtenberger secured queens and eights when the 8Diamond Suit fell on the turn. Chidwick bet, Lichtenberger called, and the 5Spade Suit on the river prompted Chidwick to bet again. Lichtenberger moved all-in, and after careful consideration, Chidwick called off his stack with top pair. However, Lichtenberger showed him the bad news, and Chidwick had to settle for a third-place finish, earning $960,000.

Chidwick’s career earnings now surpass $54 million, ranking him third on the all-time earnings leaderboard. His performance in this event added 240 POY points to his total, placing him second in the standings with 8,259 points. He has won five titles this year, with 22 final-table finishes and nearly $8.1 million in POY earnings, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the poker world.

It took less than 90 minutes to reduce the field from six players to two, setting the stage for an extended heads-up battle lasting over four hours, filled with significant swings in momentum. Lichtenberger initially held a considerable chip lead, but Isaac Haxton mounted a comeback, eventually establishing a lead of more than 5:1. However, Lichtenberger fought back, winning a substantial pot with pocket aces to regain the lead. Isaac Haxton quickly recovered, securing numerous small and medium pots to regain control.

With the pressure on, Lichtenberger made a heroic call for his tournament life with second pair on a perilous board. Isaac Haxton could only show an ace-high hand, resulting in a nearly even match once more.

The decisive hand of the heads-up battle occurred with blinds at 25,000-50,000 and a big blind ante of 50,000. Isaac Haxton raised to 175,000 on the button with ASpade Suit7Spade Suit from a stack of 2,840,000. Lichtenberger, starting the hand with 3,160,000, three-bet to 500,000 from the big blind, holding KDiamond SuitKClub Suit. Isaac Haxton called, and the flop revealed 3Spade Suit3Diamond Suit2Spade Suit. Lichtenberger’s 550,000 continuation bet was met with an all-in move from Haxton for 2,340,000. Lichtenberger quickly called with his overpair, setting up a high-stakes showdown for the majority of the chips in.

The Wynn Fall Classic is set to kick off in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 2, offering a plethora of poker tournaments that will keep enthusiasts busy throughout most of the month until the series concludes on October 29.

Among the highlights is the no-limit hold’em championship event, boasting a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. Scheduled for October 19-23, it features three starting flights and requires a buy-in of $1,600. Players can secure their seats through a $300 satellite buy-in, with three 10-seat guaranteed qualifiers taking place on October 19 and 20.

Wynn Las Vegas will provide a wide array of poker options during the tournament series, including limit Omaha eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., dealer’s choice, and Big O, in addition to the popular no-limit hold’em. Another notable event on the roster is the $1 million guaranteed $1,600 mystery bounty event, commencing on October 12. This event follows a sought-after format on the circuit, where players receive random prize payouts for every opponent they eliminate. The tournament spans three starting flights, culminating on October 15.

For seniors looking to participate, there are two dedicated events on October 4 ($50,000 guaranteed) and October 16 ($100,000 guaranteed). In fact, every event listed in the schedule offers appealing guarantees, including the $1,100 buy-in kick-off event, which boasts a hefty $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Join us this October and immerse yourself in the thrilling poker action at one of the top casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

You can see the Wynn Fall Classic full schedule of events below. For more information, visit the Wynn Poker homepage.

Justin Bonomo appeared to be on the verge of securing the championship title in the final $25,000 buy-in high roller event of the 2023 Poker Masters, but fate took a surprising turn. Despite eliminating every opponent on his path to the heads-up showdown, Bonomo’s commanding 4:1 chip lead dwindled in the blink of an eye.

Justin Bonomo, the world’s second-highest-earning tournament poker player with a career cash tally exceeding $64 million, showcased a remarkable hero call that swiftly altered the course of the game.

The pivotal hand unfolded with Daniel Rezaei limping on the button, holding J of Spades and 8 of Diamonds, while Bonomo, in the big blind, raised with Ace of Clubs and 8 of Clubs. Rezaei called, and the flop revealed 9 of Spades, 7 of Diamonds, and 4 of Spades. Bonomo initiated a continuation bet of 300,000 into a pot totaling 480,000, with Rezaei calling, relying on his gutshot straight draw and one overcard. The turn brought the 7 of Clubs, pairing the board, prompting Bonomo to check. Rezaei wagered 325,000 into the burgeoning pot of 1,405,000, which Bonomo called, leaving him with slightly over one million chips while the pot ballooned to 1,730,000. The final card, a 5 of Diamonds, completed the board, and Bonomo checked again. Seizing the moment, Rezaei went all-in with nearly 2.8 million in chips, and after careful consideration, Bonomo called, staking his tournament life on an ace-high hand.

This colossal double-up propelled Justin Bonomo back into the lead, and from there, he sealed the victory, earning $333,000. His career earnings now stand at an impressive $64,439,800, leaving him just $844,456 behind the all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney.

Bonomo’s victory also awarded him 200 PokerGO Tour points, making it his second final-table appearance in the series, following his third-place finish in event no. 6, which earned him $114,000 and 114 PGT points. With this tournament win, he now occupies the seventh spot in the race for the Poker Masters Purple Jacket.

The event attracted 37 participants, creating a substantial $925,000 prize pool distributed among the top six finishers. The second and final day commenced with Bonomo leading the pack and six players remaining, as Isaac Haxton had been eliminated on day one, bursting the bubble.

Bonomo initiated the first elimination when he pushed all-in with a full house of fives and eights. Chino Rheem, a three-time World Poker Tour champion, answered the call with an A-2, holding a full house of deuces and fives. With three fives, an eight, and a deuce on the board, Rheem secured sixth place and a $46,250 prize. This marked his fourth final-table appearance of the series, having previously claimed victory in event no. 4 for $218,400 and securing fourth place in event no. 6, followed by another sixth-place finish in event no. 8. Rheem’s cumulative earnings for the series now amount to $434,640, accompanied by 386 PGT points, propelling him to second place in the series-long points race, trailing only two-time winner Vladas Tamasauskas as they head into the festival’s final event.

Next to exit was Orpen Kisacikoglu, the champion of event no. 6. He faced a substantial loss in his stack when his pocket aces clashed with Daniel Rezaei’s A-Q. Rezaei committed the majority of his chips preflop and subsequently called off the rest after hitting a Broadway gutshot on the flop. The river delivered his straight, doubling him into the third chip position. Kisacikoglu, left with slightly over eight big blinds, eventually went all-in with K-J suited, only to find himself in a challenging situation against Bonomo’s pocket kings. This time, the pocket pair held up, sending Kisacikoglu home in fifth place, with winnings of $74,000. He currently occupies the 10th spot in the series standings.

The subsequent two eliminations resulted from unfortunate preflop confrontations. First, Andrew Lichtenberger, a bracelet winner, went all-in with pocket jacks, pitted against Bonomo’s pocket queens. Lichtenberger failed to find any assistance from the board, concluding in fourth place and earning $101,750. This increased his total tournament earnings to over $16 million, securing him the fourth-place position in the race for the Purple Jacket, following his victory in event no. 5.

The second preflop confrontation unfolded in a battle of the blinds, with Bonomo raising from the small blind, armed with pocket kings, and Stephen Chidwick three-betting from the big blind, holding pocket queens. Chidwick promptly called when Bonomo initiated a four-bet shove. The ten-high board favored the larger pair, leading to Chidwick’s elimination in third place, accompanied by $148,000 in winnings. This significant victory raised Chidwick’s career earnings to $52.6 million, securing him the third position on the all-time money list. This marked his 20th final-table appearance of the year, with five titles and over $6.6 million in POY earnings. The two-time POY now occupies the sixth place in this year’s standings.

The heads-up showdown commenced with a flurry of action, as previously discussed. Rezaei secured a double-up in the initial hand, with pocket sixes besting Bonomo’s pocket fours. He repeated the feat with pocket sevens against Bonomo’s A-2, solidifying his chip advantage. After Bonomo’s heroic call, he managed to regain the chip lead, setting the stage for an intense battle lasting approximately another half-hour.

In the final hand, Bonomo cautiously limped on the button with A of Clubs and Q of Spades. Rezaei, in the big blind, checked, holding Q of Diamonds and 2 of Clubs. The flop unveiled K of Diamonds, 3 of Diamonds, and 2 of Diamonds. Rezaei checked with his pair and flush draw, and Bonomo opted for a check as well. The turn card, an A of Hearts, swung the lead back in Bonomo’s favor. Rezaei checked, and Bonomo bet 200,000 into the 240,000-pot. Rezaei called, and the river revealed Q of Clubs, granting both players two pairs. Rezaei checked with his queens and deuces, while Justin Bonomo went all-in with aces and queens. Rezaei called, only to be confronted with the grim reality of the hand. As the runner-up, he earned $222,000, marking the third-largest recorded payout of his career.

Final table Results:

The stakes were raised at the 2023 Poker Masters high-stakes tournament festival. Following six initial tournaments with a $10,100 buy-in, event number seven saw the buy-in increase to $25,200. A total of 44 players entered the no-limit hold’em tournament, resulting in a prize pool of $1.1 million. After two days of intense tournament action, Nick Schulman emerged as the champion, securing the title along with the top prize of $374,000.

This marked Schulman’s second title of the year, adding to his impressive poker resume, which includes four World Series of Poker gold bracelets. He earned his most recent bracelet in the $1,500 seven-card stud event during the summer. At 39 years old, Schulman has accumulated lifetime tournament earnings of nearly $16.6 million, with his largest score coming from his victory in the 2005 World Poker Tour World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Resort Casino, where he earned $2.1 million.

Additionally, Schulman earned 224 PokerGO Tour points from his triumph, propelling him into sixth place in the race for the Poker Masters Purple Jacket.

This exciting event unfolded over two days at the PokerGO Studio within ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The second day began with six players remaining, with Ren Lin being the sole player eliminated after the money bubble burst late on day one, securing a $44,000 prize and 105 POY points for his 22nd final-table finish of the year. Lin’s accomplishments included two titles and total POY earnings of nearly $3.7 million, placing him fifth on the POY leaderboard.

Justin Saliba, a two-time bracelet winner, saw his run come to an end in sixth place when his pocket threes lost to Brian Rast’s A-10 in a race. Saliba walked away with $66,000 and 140 POY points, positioning him 13th in the POY standings.

Schulman continued his impressive performance by eliminating the next two opponents. First, his pocket nines triumphed over Victoria Livschitz’s A-4 suited, sending her home in fifth place with $88,000. Then, Schulman pushed with 9-8 suited from the small blind, facing off against two-time bracelet winner Chris Brewer’s A-Q. Brewer initially held the lead through the flop, but an eight on the turn swung the momentum in Schulman’s favor. With a blank on the river, Brewer officially finished in fourth place, taking home $121,000.

Andrew Lichtenberger marked his 36th birthday in an extravagant manner. The seasoned poker professional emerged as the victor from a field of 85 participants, clinching the championship title in event number 5 of the 2023 Poker Masters. This victory marked his 16th recorded live tournament win.

In the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event held at the PokerGO Studio within the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Andrew Lichtenberger secured the champion’s purse of $204,000. With this win, his total career tournament earnings soared to over $15.9 million, adding another impressive chapter to the World Series of Poker bracelet winner’s storied career.

Notably, this marked Lichtenberger’s fifth appearance at a final table in 2023, and it was his first championship title of the year. His outstanding performance earned him 1,122 Card Player Player of the Year points, propelling him into the ranks of the top 500 contenders in the 2023 POY race, sponsored by Global Poker.

Furthermore, Lichtenberger secured 204 PokerGO Tour points for his victory, making it his third cash of the Poker Masters series. He previously finished seventh in event number 3 and thirteenth in event number 4. With a total of 266 PGT points and earnings amounting to $265,700, he now occupies the third spot in the race for this year’s Poker Masters Purple Jacket, trailing behind only Vladas Tamasauskas (506 points) and Ren Lin (299 points).

This event awarded cash prizes to the top 13 finishers from its $850,000 prize pool. Only six contenders advanced to day 2, with two-time bracelet winner Daniel Lazrus leading the pack and Lichtenberger holding the fourth chip position at the start.

Koray Aldemir, the 2021 WSOP main event champion, was the first to exit in sixth place with $51,000 in winnings. His K-J hand couldn’t prevail in a preflop showdown against Daniel Lazrus’ 8-7 suited.

Brock Wilson achieved his third cash and second final-table appearance of the festival in this event, but his journey ended in fifth place. His A-7 suited was bested by the A-K of Lazrus and the pocket tens held by bracelet winner Brian Kim. Wilson took home $68,000.

Lichtenberger soon surged into the lead, winning a significant pot against Kim with the same top pair of tens but with a higher kicker. Kim then eliminated Niko Koop in fourth place ($85,000) by making eights full of kings on the river, triumphing over Koop’s kings and nines.

The next pivotal all-in confrontation witnessed Lichtenberger shoving from the small blind with pocket threes. Lazrus accepted the challenge and called all-in from the big blind with pocket sixes. Lichtenberger flopped a set and maintained his lead, ultimately ousting Lazrus in third place ($102,000).

The heads-up battle commenced with Andrew Lichtenberger holding 7,625,000 chips against Kim’s 3,000,000. It didn’t take long for all the chips to find their way to the center. In a few hands, Lichtenberger open-shoved from the button with AHeart Suit6Spade Suit, and Kim called with ASpade SuitQSpade Suit from the big blind. The board favored Lichtenberger, showing 7Spade Suit4Diamond Suit3Heart Suit6Diamond SuitADiamond Suit. With aces up, Lichtenberger secured both the pot and the title, while Kim earned $144,500 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table: